Tea and Travel

Day Spa, Tea House, and Bed and Breakfast oh my!

The Emerald Necklace Inn is one of Cleveland Ohio's historic treasures.  It was built in 1863 at the time of the Civil War.  The Gilles family originally operated it as a Country General Store.  Today it is owned and operated by Innkeeper Gloria Cipri-Kemer. She enthusiastic about it's rich history and she would be delighted to give you a tour of the Inn when you arrive.
  
 

The Emerald Necklace Inn also hosts a traditional Tea Room.  What a comfortable and cozy experience it is to have tea in the Parlor.  Yummy snacks, lunches and teas are served daily.  I really enjoyed chatting with Gloria and learning more about the area.  She made wonderful recommendations for places to eat and visit while I was in town.

I also took advantage of their tea tasting while I was there.  The lunch includes is $19.95 per person and includes:

A Pot of Tea of your Choice

Seasonal cup of soup

Daily scone, bread plate served with lemon curd, devonshire cream, preserve You can choose from their grand selection of Teas.  They have more than 80 varieties of tea all of which you can also buy in the gift shop. Here you see they are tastefully displayed here, and Gloria will refill your bottle of tea when you finish.  Very green of her I say. Also included with your tea: Assortment of three tea sandwiches Quiche with fresh fruit Chef's delightful dessert assortment

They also have a gift shop complete with china, tea pots, warmers,  tea accessories and gift items. 

I ended up with 1/2 a day delay in my flight so I had some time on my hands.  I really needed a haircut and color so I enjoyed a full service salon visit with Gloria Cipri-Kemer   It was a relaxing opportunity to get a haircut, highlights and super scalp massage and I loved it when she was done!

She also offers mini facials, pedicures, massages, and a paraffin hand dip with hand massage.  Below are Gloria's parents in the gold oval frame.  Just an example how personal the Inn is and how much it feels like you are staying in a lovely "home" environment.

I also enjoyed a daily hike out back of the Inn.  There is a wonderful walking trail that took me to see several wonderful bridges and sights of the town.

Open Daily 11:30am 7 days a week

Phone: Email: Address:

440-333-9100 stay@emeraldnecklaceinn.com 18840 Lorain Road Fairview Park, OH 44126 Part of the Greater Cleveland Area

If Walls Could Talk - Hotel Monteleone

All Things New Orleans

I really enjoyed my trip to Louisiana that included nearly a week in New Orleans. I am excited to share my choice of hotel when visiting the lovely French Quarter.

The French Quarter is anchored by the Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street.  It defiantly has THE best vantage point for people watching, shopping antiques, gorgeous jewelry, Oriental rugs, art and gifts from around the world. Nearby there are traditional Louisiana restaurants and specialty gift shops 

• Stroll the cobblestone streets that lead to Jackson Square.  
• Visit the Old French Market
• Join the Riverwalk where a quick stroll along the levee you will see steamboats, barges and ships along the Mississippi River.

Hotel Monteleone is not only a Historic Landmark it is also a member of the Historic Hotels of America.  The hotel is larger than it at first seems with 600 guest rooms, a wonderful restaurant, and the infamous Carousel Bar, 

http://jotraveler.blogspot.com/2013/01/art-for-eye-at-carousel-bar-new-orleans.html

They also have a mall sundries shop - gift store, heated rooftop pool (really enjoyed swimming in the evenings) and an exercise facility.  The Spa Aria, sent specials on the desk in our room, the business center was well equipped.  There was loads of meeting space, and of course valet parking.

Hotel Monteleone is a hotbed for hosting literary giants, musicians and celebrities.

Who has stayed here:

William Faulkner

Eudora Welty

Elvis Presley

Liberace

From their website I learned that the hotel is still owned by the same family, the Hotel Monteleone derives its name from its Italian founder's roots. Monteleone means mountain lion. Established in 1886 in a building that once housed Union troops during the War of Northern Aggression (as they say in the deep South), the hotel offers both a sense of heritage and a feel of luxury. The pristine lobby with its sparkling chandeliers and antique grandfather clock (built in 1909) promises all a comfortable stay.

When we arrived and went in to our room, we weren't disappointed. Two Audubon prints hung on one wall. A pale yellow and pink color scheme with striped wallpaper felt very traditional. All of the expected amenities were there including a full minibar in the armoire.  The shower was heaven and the window let in lots of light.

I loved the lounge, with it's unique carousel piano bar that rotates around.   I wrote about the lounge here:

http://jotraveler.blogspot.com/2013/01/art-for-eye-at-carousel-bar-new-orleans.html

 There is live New Orleans Jazz music in the bar most nights. Its location is just a short walk from Bourbon St. and other places of entertainment. 
 
The lobby is truly beautiful, with 12 foot ceilings, Beaux-arts decor, antiques and beautiful painted ceilings. (Yes do not forget to look up!)  There is a HUGE Grandfather clock in the center of the lobby that cranks out loud chime every quarter hour.

I always like to share what movies a famous hotel has been in.  Here is my list taken from the internet:

FILM list

1999
“Double Jeopardy” – Starring Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones. Filmed in Lobby, front of Hotel Monteleone and the Carousel Bar & Lounge transformed into the Armani Shop.

September 2004
“Glory Road” – a Jerry Bruckheimer production. Starring Josh Lucas, Derek Luke and Jon Voight. Filmed in Lobby and also built set in storage area. Hotel Monteleone featured as fancy hotel lobby in a different city. Conference space was set aside for extras. This was the same crew that worked on the production of “Double Jeopardy” in 1998.

September 2005
“The Last Time” – Starring Brendan Fraser and Michael Keaton. Filmed in Lobby, Carousel Bar & Lounge, Hunt Room Grill, Bagatelle and Engineer.

February 2005
“Retirement” – Starring Peter Faulk. Filmed in Hotel Monteleone‘s fine dining restaurant Hunt Room Grill. Restaurant is stand in for any Steak House. Hotel Monteleone provided all steaks; salad and other food prep as well and table settings etc. Rooms provided for talent during filming.

March 2008
“12 Rounds” – Starring John Cena. Filmed in Vieux Carre Suite (1480), 14th floor hallway, roof by the Marquis, boiler room, garage freight elevator, Lobby and front of Hotel Monteleone. Employee’s cafeteria & Exchange Alley was used for film crew lunch breaks.

“Hands on” Art as Jewelry workshop lead by Nicky Ruxton with Ruxton Designs.

 Art as Jewelry workshop

February 2^nd the Haute Couture Societe of Stockton, a wearable arts community (www.hautecoutureca.org) hosted instructor Nicky Ruxton,  creator of Mixed-Media Industrial Artwear Jewelry for an afternoon workshop.  She brought many of her designs to show and share (some for sale too). 

Her things are very well made from fabric and felt with top stitching and added ribbon, embellishments.  We looked her line over closely and after lunch had some individual time to ask the artist questions and discuss projects.

Instructor Nicky Ruxton’s formal education came from Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore, MD.  Her degree is in Graphic Design. She has also studied calligraphy, sculpture, painting, and 2 &3D design. Later she attended the California College of the Arts in Oakland, CA where she studied book making, typography, print making and photography.

Nicky’s jewelry really is her passion, thus “Ruxton Designs” was birthed to support this endeavor.  Her one-of-a-kind limited edition pieces integrate her interest in architecture and the arts, with an industrial aesthetic that uniquely brands her work.

She shared shared with us that morning how her work lies in the intersection of where her graphic design background and passion for mixed-media collage converge. Nicky’s work employs clean lines, simple designs, restrained colors and texture in layering. (see part one Mixed-Media Industrial Artwear - Nicky Ruxton with Ruxton Designs) http://jotraveler.blogspot.com/#!/2013/02/mixed-media-industrial-artwear-nicky.html

 

I learned more about Nicky’s art from her Bio:

“Using new and re-purposed materials combined in a fresh new ways, Nicky creates bold, edgy and strong designs with an undercurrent of thoughtful, contemporary wear-ability  Nicky’s work is Wearable Art for those with a discerning eye. It’s designed for drawing attention and making a statement without question. When she isn’t out scavenging metal findings she resides in Mountain View, CA and an ever growing collection of used treasures.”

 

 

Nicky Ruxton’s Contact information can be found: http://www.RuxtonDesigns.com

 

Nicky spoke to our class sharing her use of fabric & found objects to make jewelry. This was the focus of the four hour workshop. Nicky supplied the fabrics from FabMo

 

Check it out

 

 

Website

http://www.fabmo.org

https://www.facebook.com/FabMo

2423 Middlefield Way, Suite C, Mountain View, CA 94042

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
My mom Marlene Heinz and I started working on the fabric embellished bracelets enjoying the process of mixing trims, ribbon, buttons and more.  Some of the wearable art bracelets that were started in class and finished at home are to the left:

 

 

 

 This piece started out with this wonderful ceramic leaf, and the covered buttons were added to bring out the colors in the leaf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Here it is up close:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This design  Marlene is doing a series of statement bracelets using laminated photos,  This is the first in the series, stayed turned and I'll add more photos later.

 

 UP close you can see the special trim used and the extra large snap to hold the bracelet in place on your arm.

 This piece is fun and shows off one's special interests.  In this case it highlights shoes!

 

For this fun design Marlene is doing a series of "statement" bracelets using laminated photos of shoes and words. This is the first in what will be a series so stayed turned and I'll add more photos as she completes them.

 

We have more bracelets in the works, so I will post some more photos next week.  And after Marlene made the bracelets, she decided a few rings were in order.  What do you think?  I like them!

^  Here are some rings Marlene made from buttons in her antique button collection. They are very comfortable to wear,  I already "borrowed" the navy and gold one that is second from the right.  I love it!!  Here it is on my hand to the right. --->  I'm going to see if I can get my model'esque daughter to put these on when she visits next and I'll try photographing everything again.

Nicky sold kits with unusual objects suitable for the workshop and brought many of her fabulous one of a kind designs to show.  Each attendee brought basic sewing kit items and a few of our own “found objects” and interesting fabrics to use.

 

Included in the basic sewing kit:

pins,needles, scissors, thread, ribbon, fabric, glue gun, etc.

She left us with the inspiring words: “It is a necessity to get to your creative side, embrace it.”

To learn more about Nicky Ruxton with Ruxton Designs – and her Mixed-Media Industrial Artwear  “Like” her on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RuxtonDesigns and sign up for her email newsletter.

She participates in Artists Open Houses and lists shows she will be attending in the newsletter.

See more designs by Nicky Ruxton at http://ruxtondesigns.com/